Shabir Shah booked under PSA

One of the close aides and important constituent of the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's conglomerate Shabir Shah, who heads Democratic Freedom Party, was booked on Friday under the Public Safety Act, under which a person can be arrested without a trial for two years.

One of the close aides and important constituent of the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's conglomerate Shabir Shah, who heads Democratic Freedom Party, was booked on Friday under the Public Safety Act, under which a person can be arrested without a trial for two years.

He has been shifted from a Srinagar jail to Jammu's Kotbalwal jail.

"He (Shah) was already in the jail. The move to shift him to Jammu and book him under the PSA smacks of evil design of the government against him," alleged Shah's wife Dr Bilques. Shah was arrested during the intervening night of February 8 and 9, just before Afzal Guru was executed.

A major crackdown is underway against separatist leaders in the Valley with around one dozen top leaders already behind the bars. Hardline Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani was also arrested in the morning when he tired to breach restrictions laid around his Srinagar residence.

Meanwhile, curfew continued for second consecutive day on Saturday in Srinagar city and other major towns in north and south Kashmir. The strict implementation of curfew succeeded in keeping protesters at bay.

Violent protests have thrown life out of gear in the Valley since Guru's execution. These protests are further fuelled by death of protesters and strike calendars issued by separatists' joint platform, Joint Advisory Council.